What is the estimated cost of laying the coaxial cable from Melbourne to Sydney via Canberra?

Mr Davidson
- The answer to the honorable member's question is as follows: -

A contract to the value of £2,115,000 has been placed for the supply of coaxial cable for the Sydney-Melbourne project and a contract for the supply and installation of the equipment necessary for the operation of the cable has been placed at a cost of £1,575,000. Other expenditure will be incurred on laying the cable, construction of buildings and the purchase of mechanical aids which will bring the net cost of the whole project to about £4,400,000, after taking into account the value of materials which will be recovered from the existing aerial wire trunk-line route.